


come on now, follow my lead

by orphan_account



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempt at Humor, F/M, First Kiss, Happy Ending, Humor, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, artist!chuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-23 01:57:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13179969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “My cousin used to always tell me a guy's feet point at what they want.”Chuck's eyes sparkle with amusement, “Is that so?”Josie nods, glancing down at his shoes then back up at him, “Very so. Yours are pointed at me.”Chuck purposely points his toes in a different direction, “No, they're not.”





	come on now, follow my lead

“Could you just stop moving?”

“I don't know. Could you just hurry up?”

“Patience woman.”

“Hurry up, Chuck and don't talk to me like that. I could be doing other, more interesting things right now?”

“Oh, I know.” He finds himself rolling his eyes, “Is it Fun Josie or Serious Josie this week?”

“Neither.” She tilts her head up with an air of dignity, “I got this weekend off and everyone else is busy.”

“So, that's why you agreed to this? No else to spend time with?”

Josie moves the sheet higher up as it begins to slip, “I can have fun by myself, Clayton. Besides, I'm just helping out a friend. You done yet?”

Chuck nods, tip of his tongue sticking out as he finishes the final touches. “Almoooost there.”

He grins, stepping back to look the drawing over. “Perfect.”

Josie releases a sigh. Sitting in the same spot for over an hour could be so exhausting.

She shuffled over to the front of the paper, a bright smile taking over her and features. “This is amazing, Chuck. Like really amazing.”

He blushes, ducking his head to avoid eye contact, “Hopefully my professor think so too.”

“Well, I'm going to go get dressed.”

“Yeah, I should wash my hands off and stuff.”

He tries to talk himself up as he did so. It was just six simple words.

_Will you go out with me?_

He turns off the water, grabbing some paper towel off the roll to dry his hands with.

“Hey, Chuck.” He spins around at his name.

Josie points to her back, “Could you zip this up for me?”

It's not what she came wearing, but he does his best to avoid asking about it.

“You, uh, got plans?” He's careful not to get any of her hair caught as he zips up her dress.

“Yeah. Dinner with the parents. It's my mom's birthday.”

“Oh. Tell her I said happy birthday.”

Josie nods, turning around and using his shoulder for support as she slips into her shoes. “I will.” 

She stands back up straight, “What about you? You got anymore girls undressing for you?”

“Nope, just you.” He taps her nose playfully.

Josie laughs mockingly. “Haha, I feel so special.”

Her phone vibrates in her hand and she holds back a curse. “I really have to go. Bye, Chuck.”

She presses a quick kiss to his cheek before leaving.

Chuck buries his face into his hands with a loud groan.

“That was sad.” Midge leans against the doorframe of her room, a pitiful look in her eyes.

“Oh, like you're any better.”

She holds up her hands and retreats back into her room before he can go further.   
*  
Josie knew this dinner was going to be awful.

Her parents were trying the whole friend thing, but her father kept glaring at Tom every chance he got.

It only got worse when Kevin asked about her music. Her dad couldn't help, but make snide comments.

She left just before the cake was cut. She'd make it up to her mom later.

“How'd it go?”

Melody is sitting on the couch when she arrives to their shared apartment, glasses on as stifles through what Josie presumes are class notes.

“Bad.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Melody flashes a comforting smile at her before looking back down at the papers.

“Val here?”

“Late shift. She told me to tell you there's pizza in the refrigerator.”

Josie nods, walking over to the fridge. She grabs two slices and a cold can of lemonade. 

“Don't stay up too late.” She advises Melody before heading to her room with her juice and her now warmed up pizza.

She stays up till 1, watching She's Gotta Have It until her eyes grow tired and she falls asleep.  
*  
Finals was over which meant one thing.

“Where should I put the keg?” Veronica points to the kitchen and steps out of Moose's path. “Careful not to scratch the floors. I just got them waxed.”

Josie, Melody, and Valerie walk through the door next and Veronica, being the perfect hostess she is, greets them all with hugs and kisses. 

“I'm so glad you three could make it. This party was beginning to feel a middle school dance.”

Josie laughs, making a beeline for the kitchen where Moose is setting up the keg.

“Please, tell me you didn't forget the tap last this time.”

Moose shakes his head, “Chuck said he was going to bring it. I think V stacked the fridge with wine coolers if you want something to start off with.”

“Good to know.”  
*  
Chuck takes a seat next to Josie as Cheryl calls them all to the living room.

“Professor Keene said she loved the painting.”

She turns his head to the side to look at me, “It's a painting of me, be hard for someone not to.”

“Conceited much?”

“You say conceited I say confident.”

“All right people. You already know the rules.”

Josie scoots closer to Chuck unconsciously. Last time she had to go in the closet with Moose and there was no way she was about to go through that whole ordeal better.

“If I leave now, do you think people will notice?”

“Cheryl definitely will.”

“Screw Cheryl.”

“Well, well, guess we have our lucky first contestants.”

Josie relaxes when she realizes the bottle isn't pointing at her.

Midge stands up, albeit reluctantly, and walks to the closet with Reggie not too far behind. 

“Is she still pining after Nancy?”

“Is it pining if it's reciprocated?” He points to where Nancy is sitting, looking she wants to punch a hole through the wooden door.

Josie barely resists the urge to laugh. “What about you, Picasso? Anybody catch your artistic eye yet?”

 _Tell her._

“Well, there is this one girl-”

He never gets the chance to finish. The door slams open and Midge stomps out, walking through the front door and then slamming it behind her.

Reggie comes out looking miffed, face red. “Chicks are so sensitive man. You might want to go after her, Nanc.”

He takes his earlier spot like nothing just happened.

“Stop looking at me like I killed your puppy. All I did was ask her when she was going to stop acting like such a pussy and just ask Nancy out. It's not my fault she got all defensive.”

There's obviously more than what he's telling, but no one was going to push the subject.

“Okaaaay.” Veronica reaches out to spin the bottle again.

It does land on Josie this time and the empty spot that belonged to Nancy.

“New rule,” Cheryl announces, “if the bottle lands on a vacant seat, the other person gets to choose who they go into the closet with.”

“Uh. Okay.”

She scans the room for someone to join her. Reggie still looked pissed so that was a hard no. Archie? No, that'd be weird. Veronica? Maybe.

“I pick Chuck.” She finally decides. 

“Come on.” She waves for him to hurry up as she nears the door.  
*  
“6 minutes and 32 seconds to waste. What are we going to do?”

Josie shrugs. “What do you want to do?”

“Talk,” he suggests awkwardly.

“Okay. Let's talk. I'll go first since you never answered my question earlier.”

“What was the question again?”

“I asked if you were secretly pining after anyone.”

“I'm pretty sure I answered that, you just weren't paying attention.”

“You have my attention now.”

“Nope. My turn for a question now. Why'd you pick me?”

She shrugs, “Because anyone else would've turned it into a big deal. You just want to talk. Who's the girl you were talking about earlier?”

“Oh, so you were listening?”

Josie averts her eyes, “Maybe I was.” She takes a small step forward, “So, who is she?”

“I can't give her name up that easily.” He finds himself taking a small step forward too.

“Is it Toni?”

“No. Don’t tell anyone this, but she scares me a little.”

Josie laughs. While Toni does have that tough, standoffish demeanor, Josie knows she's actually really nice.

“Is it Veronica?” She steps forward again.

Chuck shakes his head no. They went out a date once, but it went nowhere. 

“My cousin used to always tell me a guy's feet point at what they want.”

Chuck's eyes sparkle with amusement, “Is that so?”

Josie nods, glancing down at his shoes then back up at him, “Very so. Yours are pointed at me.”

Chuck purposely points his toes in a different direction, “No, they're not.”

“Okay, my third and last guess. Is the girl you're talking about me?”

She steps forward again then stops, keeping a short amount of space in between them.

“If I said yes?”

“Are you saying yes?”

“I asked first.”

“I asked second.”

“You want me to say yes, don't you?”

She gives a lopsided grin, “Maybe I do. Maybe I don't.”

“I think you do.”

“I think you do.” She mocks, raising her eyebrow tauntingly.

His eyes drop down to her lips briefly, a knowing smirk forming on her face. “I think we should stop talking now.”

“I think you should kiss me now.”

He does, cupping either side of her face as he lowers his mouth to hers. Josie wraps her hand around the back of his neck as she kisses back.

They stay like that until someone knocks on the door.

“Time's up!” Cheryl's voice calls from the other side, “put your clothes back on.”

Josie opens the door then rolls her eyes just so Cheryl can see.

Chuck steps out after her, throwing a side glance to Josie when she latches onto his wrist.

“Fun party, Cheryl, but we have to go.”

“Where are you two going?” Cheryl asks with mock obliviousness.

“Oh, Chuck was going to show me that thing. You remember right, Chuck?”

“Yeah, that thing. We should go before it's too late. Bye, Cheryl.”

**Author's Note:**

> i just felt like writing a chuck/josie story tbh.


End file.
